Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

Overview

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) documents the planning priorities of the Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) area, and describes all planning activities to be performed with Federal transportation and transit planning funds. The UPWP is essentially the work program for transportation and transit administration and planning activities in the ARTS area.

Time Frame

The UPWP is prepared annually and details activities initiated and completed during the upcoming program year. The ARTS program year runs from July 1st to June 30th because state and federal agencies must review the UPWP. Work on the draft UPWP begins 6-7 months prior to the start of the applicable program year. The ARTS Policy Committee adopts the final UPWP in March of each year. The UPWP is subject to amendment during the program year.

UPWP Documents

Click the icons below to see the UPWP documents for 2017 and 2016...

2017

2016

Contents

The UPWP includes information on the transportation planning process, the transportation and transit issues facing the metropolitan area, and the planning and administrative work elements to be undertaken during the program year. An appendix includes the ARTS area goals and objectives, a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding for the study, and a summary of the UPWP budget.

The work element descriptions are the heart of the UPWP. The following information is included for each work element: purpose, nature of the activity, reports/product, and accomplishments under the work element during the preceding year. A cost estimate spreadsheet identifies the sources of funding for each work element and the agencies responsible for implementation. In the ARTS UPWP, work-elements are grouped under the following headings:

Program Administration & Implementation – includes activities related to administration of the ARTS planning process and public transportation in Augusta and Aiken, public involvement, staff education, and preparation of the UPWP and TIP.

Short Range Planning – includes activities to maintain the ARTS socioeconomic and land use database, address ongoing issues like congestion management, air quality, safety awareness, and GIS, and meet federal mandates related to transit systems.

Long Range Planning – includes activities for updating the Long Range Transportation Plan and Intermodal Planning.

Funding

UPWP work elements are funded with a combination of federal highway and transit planning funds and state and local matching funds. Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) account for 80% of each work element budget, state funds 10%, and local funds 10%. For the ARTS UPWP funding sources include FHWA, FTA, GADOT, SCDOT, ARCPC, and ACPDD.